There is a need in inventory systems that are used in warehouses, stores, shops or other similar premises to have a fast way of collecting information about product items sited in such premises. This information is collected for the purpose to take inventory of product items to keep an inventory management system up-to-date. Typically, terminal devices are used to help collect information relating to products, e.g. product type, a number of products, etc. Terminal device typically includes a reader device to identify the product item, e.g. by reading a bar code or RFID tag being located adjacent to the product item.
One way to acquire product related data is that a collector person recognizes a product item, reads a product code, counts a number of the product items and manually writes down the product code together with the number of the products on the piece of paper. Then afterwards the collected information is entered into the computer of the inventory system and the system will be updated. Another way to acquire product related data is that beforehand there is printed from the inventory system a list of product items or codes together with the number of product items stored in the inventory system at the moment of printing. Then the collector person identifies the product item, counts the number of each product items and marks to the list manually only those numbers of the products that differ from the numbers on the list. Then afterwards the collected updated information is entered into the computer of the inventory system so that the system will be updated.
Referring to FIG. 1 there is depicted an inventory method that is known. A person who is drawing up an inventory of products carries a portable terminal device which is capable of reading a bar code tag that identifies product item. The user activates the device by pressing a scan mode button on (step 111) enabling the device to read bar code of product item. Then according to step 112 the user counts a number of similar product items and inputs the counted number of product items by keying in the number to the keyboard of the device. The number of product items is also displayed on the screen of the device according to step 113 so that the user can check that the written number is correct. After checking the number the user can store the number to a memory of the device by pressing a store mode button on as shown in step 115 and then afterwards the user can store the number to a database of the inventory system. There is a further possibility, as shown in steps 121-125, when the user who is drawing up inventory of products carries a wireless terminal device which is capable of reading a bar code tag and communicating with the database of the inventory system. Then the user can activate the device by pressing a scan mode button on (step 111) enabling the device to read bar code of product item and pressing a transfer mode button on to communicate with the inventory system according to step 121. When the bar code is read the terminal device is able to receive a number of product items related to the read bar code according to step 123 and this received number is called a reference number of product items which reference number shows the latest number of product items that has been stored to the database of the inventory system. This reference number is then displayed on the screen of the device according to step 124. After counting the number of product items related to the read bar code (step 112) the user can compare the counted number to the reference number shown on the screen in step 125 and if the numbers are the same he/she can acknowledge receipt and store the number to a memory of the device by pressing a store mode button on as shown in step 115. Then afterwards the user can store the number to the database of the inventory system from the memory of the device to update the inventory system. After comparing the counted number to the reference number according to step 125 and if the numbers are different he/she can key in the counted number according to steps 113-114 or correct the refrence number shown on the screen to correspond to the counted number by pressing ± keys so many times as required. Then he/she stores the number to the memory of the device by pressing a store mode button on as shown in step 115. Then afterwards he/she can update the inventory system by transferring and storing the number to the database of the inventory system.
When the number of product items is counted in the known inventory systems, it is quite time-consuming to key in the counted number to the terminal device by pressing the key buttons and check on the screen of the device that the entered number is correct one. If the entered number is not correct, the user has to repeat to key in a correct number. Even if the reference number of product items from the inventory system is automatically available on the screen, there still is a need for the user to verify the counted number and the reference number and then either to press an acknowledge key if verified numbers are the same or to key in the counted number by pressing key buttons and once again check on the screen that the entered number was correct one. Then the user stores the counted number to the memory of the device by pressing a store button, and finally he may later update the database of the inventory system by pressing a relevant button key to do that. The steps of punching the buttons on the keyboard, verifying numbers on the screen and correcting wrong key entries are rather time-consuming steps in taking an inventory and provides high duty of care from the employee that a realible update of the inventory system would be achieved as a result.
The problems set forth above are overcome by providing a method and a portable apparatus for taking an inventory wherein the time-consuming steps mentioned above are eliminated or diminished from the point of the user. This also facilitates the steps of taking the inventory and thus increases the realibility of keeping the inventory system up-to-date.